Community Days sees good weather, ‘great fun’
CRANBERRY TWP — The three-day Cranberry Township Community Days opened Thursday, July 13, to sunny skies, smiling faces and “great fun.”
The “funnest” part of the massive festival, according to resident Kennedy Phaure, 6, was the spinning cobra carnival ride.
“Cause it was so spinny,” Kennedy said. “And it was really fast.”
Of the more than 260 vendors at the event — a record-breaking number for Community Days — Kennedy said she was most excited to get a “cone o’ ice.”
Kennedy’s father, Dwayne, relaxing in the event’s new Craft Ale Garden, said while the rides were a hit with the kids, the variety at this year’s event really made it stand out.
“This year there’s more vendors, more food options,” Dwayne said, “and good, tasty, adult beverages.”
Bridget, Dwayne’s wife, agreed.
“I think it’s great,” she said. “We see a lot of our friends here, and a lot of local shops, which we like to support.
“It’s nice to see what stores are in the area and run into old friends and new friends.”
Kicking off the opening ceremony in the Rotary Amphitheater, township supervisor Mike Manipole, chairman, said this year was shaping up to be one of their “greatest events.”
“We have more vendors than we’ve ever had — hopefully that parlays into being more fun for our community members,” Manipole said, addressing the crowd.
“A great group of bands are here to welcome each and every one of you as you listen to great music while you’re out walking and eating and celebrating,” he said. “There’s a lot of great things for you to do while you’re here.”
The opening ceremony featured the National Anthem performed by Michelle Burgess, a color guard performance by VFW Post 879 and special thanks to the Cranberry Township Community Chest as organizers and UPMC Passavant as sponsors.
“We’re also thankful to our No. 1 thing: our residents,” Manipole said. “Our residents are what makes this day special, and it’s having the time to smile with you, enjoy with you, talk to you, interact with you that’s the greatest part of Community Days.”
In addition to live music, spinny rides and a wealth of vendors, Thursday’s main event was the 14th Annual Cruisin' Cranberry Car Show.
Dressed in a “wax on, wax off” T-shirt, resident Tom Franks and his wife Jan were exhibiting one of Mr. Miyagi’s vintage cars from the Karate Kid films.
“Kids will recognize it sometimes if they’ve seen the movie, or people of a certain again who have watched the movie will go, ‘Oh, that looks familiar,’”Jan said. “Well, it’s Mr. Miyagi’s car.”
Tom said the car, which the movie’s namesake waxes and eventually is gifted in the film, was not the original. The car is instead a duplicate of the original Ford Super De Luxe, which Karate Kid actor Ralph Macchio owns.
“It’s a ’48 Flathead V8, very popular after the war — some of the first cars built after the war,” Tom said. “I found it in Columbus, Ohio, at a classic car dealer.”
Previously, Tom said he had offered to bring the car to a showing of the film at a township Movies in the Park event, which unfortunately was rained out.
The opening day car show instead provided another opportunity to share the car with the township.
“And I’m surprised how many people showed up for the first day,” Jan said. “Usually you expect people to come for fireworks, but there were a lot of people here.”
And Thursday’s car show was just one of many events at the three-day festival, according to supervisor Karen Newpol, such as the Cranberry Township Community Chest’s Community Chase 5K Run/Walk fundraiser on Saturday.
“The money will go to the Community Chest but it supports all of our nonprofit people, and, adjacent to the amphitheater, the starting line is right over here,” Newpol said. “And there’s a pancake breakfast served by the Lions Club in the Jaycees Shelter.”
Supervisor and CTCC chairman Bruce Mazzoni added that he was optimistic about the forecast after such a sunny opening day.
“As we always say, ‘If you give us good weather, we’ll give you great fun,’” Mazzoni said.
